A Bensaro Love Story
by gins-potter
Summary: A Bensaro get together story told through a series of episode codas
1. She seems to really hate me

**So I'm trying to write a love story in episode coda's for Bensaro, hence the fic title. Also these used to be seperate docs but now I'm combining it because of 's set up it makes more sense.**

 **"Thanks for having my back" was written and posted first but chronologically this one comes first hence why it will be made the first in the series.**

 **This is a coda to episode 13x02. Also, I came up with the idea, wrote it and edited in a night so it might be a bit rough. Hope you enjoy and let me know what you thought :)**

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Detective Nick Amaro knew from the moment he laid eyes on her, that Detective Olivia Benson was a force to be reckoned with. Everything about her, the careful black liner rimming the eyes that narrowed at him threateningly, the flat line of her lips, the long, unimpressed look she gave him, it all screamed that she was someone that was not to be trifled with. 'A real _guerrera'_ his mother would have called her. And when she opened her mouth and put him place with a single cutting remark, he knew she would have been right; Olivia Benson was a warrior with a badge and a gun.

Over that first case, Amaro didn't think he saw Benson let up once, and as he followed her lead in an interview he wondered idly if it ever grew exhausting. A lesser man might not have been able to let a woman take control like that but having grown up experience the strength of his mother and marrying an absolute powerhouse of a woman, he was more than used to and happy to stand back and observe. He was the rookie in this situation and Benson an expert, having worked in the unit for over a decade.

He saw it over and over again as he failed to get results and she stepped in, seemingly knowing exactly what to say and how to say it to get them to talk; whoever them was, whether it was a nervous victim or a stubborn suspect. And when she leaned over the coach's desk, getting right in his face Amaro felt a smile spreading across his face as he watched, Benson not even blinking when the perp got right back into her space.

But she didn't have the time of day for him, he quickly found out. Benson was stony with him the entire case, constantly toeing the line of polite and hostile and the animosity practically rolled off in waves. Amaro had no idea what he'd done and finally broke and asked Fin, after watching Benson toss him and Fin a curt goodnight and leave for the night without looking back, leaving the pair alone in the bull-pen to finish paperwork.

"What's her deal?" he asked, eyes still on the corner she'd just rounded "She just seems to really-"

"Hate you?" Fin finished for him. Amaro glanced over at him to find him nodding with a slight, knowing smile. "Don't take it personally."

Amaro gave a short laugh. "How am I supposed to not take that personally?"

"You just gotta know that it's not really you she hates." Fin must of seen the confusion on Amaro's face because he continued, "Look, Benson's old partner, Stabler, he left without telling anyone, not even Liv."

Amaro felt a frown tug at his lips. "But I thought you said she and Stabler were partners for twelve…?" Amaro said, trailing off as Fin nodded.

"Twelve years as partners, even longer together in the same unit and all that thrown away without even a phone call? Liv was going to hate anyone who walked through that door."

Amaro felt himself melt back into his chair, head tipping back to stare at the ceiling even as his mouth dropped open and a long sigh escaped him. He barely knew Benson, had no reason to like her after the way she'd treated him but damn did he feel sorry for her; losing your partner for any reason was hard enough, but for it to go down like that? Amaro had a strong and sudden urge to find this Stabler and punch him, even though he knew next to nothing about the guy.

Amaro was pulled from his thoughts by Fin's next words. "You just got to give her time. Liv's a great cop, but she's an even better person. She'll come round."

Amaro nodded absently, and he heard the creak of the chair as Fin stood. The other detective bade him goodnight and disappeared out of the office, leaving Amaro to sit and stare at the desk in front of him without really seeing it.

He stood after a moment, already having decided how he was going to play it when he came in for work the next day. Benson might not have given him a warm and cosy welcome, but he already felt like he understood her, and what he had seen through the shields she'd put up, the occasional wry twist of her lips when he said something amusing, the way she was with the victims, he already liked. He wasn't going to let her push him away, and when she was ready he was going to be an even better partner than Stabler had been.


	2. Thanks for having my back

**A coda to episode 13x06. Hope you like it and tell me what you thought :)**

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" _That's good to know,_ Partner."

The words had been delivered sarcastically with a heavy emphasis on the word "partner" and had been mocking Olivia all the way home. The case was over, they'd lost, the rapist had walked free and she should have still been caught up on Sarah's red rimmed eyes and dejected face but all she could hear was that sarcastic voice. The legal system was what it was and it was more than likely that Olivia would never see the girl again.

Amaro however, was someone that she was going to have to work with for the unforeseeable future, which she wouldn't be able to do effectively if she didn't address this rift soon.

" _Thanks for having my back."_

Olivia gritted her teeth as she stalked past the "Out of Order" sign plastered to her apartment building's elevator and headed towards the stairs, the mocking words echoing in her ears as she started the long climb, each step punctuating one of Amaro's words. She got up to her apartment and inside and had just started putting something together for a late dinner when she reached her breaking point and decided that this needed to be resolved. Now.

She jogged back down the steps, ignoring the ache in her muscles, hopped into her car and sped off to Amaro's apartment, the words still ringing in her ears.

" _That's good to know,_ Partner."

Olivia loosed a low growl and pressed her foot further down on the accelerator, sending her zipping through the streets of New York. She was barely a mile under the speed limit and kept an eye out for any uniformed cops, not feeling like explaining herself tonight.

" _Thanks for having my back."_

Olivia pulled to a halt outside his apartment block, the tyres screeching a little when she stopped and was out of the car and heading upstairs before she could think better of it. She'd had cops say similar things to her in the past; hell even Elliot had gone off on her more times than she could count but it had never bothered her like Amaro's words were. She didn't even let herself wonder why.

With all the anger that was coursing through her, Olivia wanted to bang on the door until the asshole had no choice but to answer the door. But some part of her remembered that he had a daughter; a daughter who was young enough to probably be in bed by this hour. So she held herself back and instead knocked politely. She stepped back to wait, fingers balling into fists in an attempt to soothe her temper.

Amaro answered the door and instantly Olivia noticed that he was still in his work clothes, jacket gone but button up in place, sleeves rolled up to reveal tanned forearms. He blinked in surprise at his partner's sudden appearance at his home.

"Benson? Is everything alri-"

"A couple of things Amaro," Benson said flatly. "I've been on the force nineteen years alright. A detective for thirteen. And never not once have I perjured myself. I don't care how close we are or how good a cop you are, I'm not about to start any time soon."

Amaro's eyes narrowed dangerously the longer Olivia spoke and once she was finished he was quick to argue. "A good partner would have had my back." He stepped closer just about putting them nose-to-nose.

"I did," Olivia snarled back. "I told them what happened, I told them I had complete faith in you. That _is_ having your back."

The two stood, both panting harshly after their argument, breaths mingling as they stared each other down with hard eyes, daring the other to speak. Finally Amaro looked away, eyes dropping to glance at Olivia's lips for a fraction of a second before they flitted away again. Desire pooled in her stomach and she might have leaned into that bare inch that separated them, if a frightening thought hadn't entered her mind.

 _He's married._

Olivia jerked away with a quiet gasp and took a few steps back, running a shaking hand through her hair.

" _Está todo bien_?" a voice called from further inside the apartment and even with her limited spanish, Olivia knew what she was asking. She dared a glance over Amaro's shoulder to find an older woman watching her suspiciously from the doorway.

Amaro spared a glance over his shoulder. " _Bien mamá_ ," he called back shortly and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him. He was quiet for a moment, staring over Olivia's shoulder at the wall rather than directly into her eyes. "What I said earlier…" he said finally and trailed off, as if waiting for Olivia to finish his sentence but the female detective remained stubbornly quiet. "It was inappropriate. You're a good cop, Benson. And a good partner. I'm sorry."

Olivia was still breathing shakily but she managed a small smile. "Thank you. Glad we got that sorted out," she said quietly. And with a strained smile she took off, before she could do anything else stupid.


End file.
